Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! !

Wonderful Christmas memories-in-the-making have flowed nicely into celebrating arrival of 2010. The pre-holidays not yet posted included BYUH Graduation with Sister Julie B.Beck as speaker [we also got to provide her "to the airport shuttle"], enjoying the Honolulu Tabernacle Christmas Program--an annual "must see" for us, our 35th anniversary celebration while staying in town with the lobster tail lunch and shopping, making povitica, twice-baked potatoes at our home with Jenny, and festive-izing our home for Christmas Eve dinner for 24--family, dear old friends, new friends, too, enjoying Maddie Kite here with Megan for Christmas Day, all the Hawaii family here for the dinner and sandwiches, gifts also.

It was a beautiful Christmas season, but missing much our Erin and family in PA. We were glad to learn how much she did to capture as many Neal family traditions for her own, plus included in them the LDS missionaries who live upstairs from them in making it special. We're so proud of Erin--holiday fun she was able to share with others. THAT'S what this season is about--beyond self, focus on others. YAY ERIN!

Lull Week--between Christmas and NYr's is a fabulous take it easy time for us, but still very productive. Time to sort, organize, put away, rearrange all that is in our house. RELAXING?? Yes, it really is. Many bags to discard or give away. . . Xmas decorations put away, garage cleaned, shined all the shoes, checked all the pens for ink, finances settled--or at least the process is begun. . . these and other activities that don't always work their way onto the weekly to do list. Watched some football, too, and enjoyed other relaxing reading and seeing movies of interest.

Spending New Year's Eve at Ala Moana is becoming a desired tradition. Jenny, Aaron and Kylee also got a room and we all loved our Tanaka of Tokyo dinner that night, games and snacks in the room later while watching small firework displays in Honolulu neighborhoods from our high-rise room. I think I won at 2500 for the first time! Shocked! 2010 arrived with a literal B A N G--Toasting cider, then FIREWORKS at midnight, so pretty! A welcome sleep, then watched the Pasadena parade to start the day. We welcomed the year by helping out the Hawaii economy then returned home for the last half of the Rose Bowl game. YAY Ohio! and Penn State, too! Bread bowls of potato cheese soup. MMMMMMMmmmmmm.

Caring for our health continues to be one of our many goals. We're not sugar-snacking for two months, according to the DMBA guidelines, hence, the weight is dropping little by little. We're both glad to watch our weight and have always done that. It's been our philosophy since we got married. We are feeling better as a result. Love our SOS--Splurge On Sundays plan, though. Ice cream, cookies, etc. --we're allowing sugar then!! Exercising 30 minutes a day, the other guideline, was already in our daily routine. Love those early morning walks.

Prayer days and times grew in number, it seemed, so suddenly. We had many with news locally that did cause concern and truly deserved prayer these days. The Sorens, Nortons, Pierces, Wagners, Goos, and even some family members had challenges so were remembered often these days. The Lord's hands are the ones that help most, and often we are His hands for others. Updating frequently on all this news, I have a new name for FACEBOOK --- "FAITHBOOK."

New semester preparations started in, too, and some new traditions are set. Bill and Paul refined their b.c. class, and I did the necessaries for the Family History class, too. It's also nice to be back at the Family History Center for Friday volunteer time. Dates with the boys resumed--Wednesday is our day, and LOL is my subtitle for that!! Kylee-time was also part of the week, along with the Fast Sunday Family dinner which was here this month. Sharing the meal preps with daughters Lindsey, Jenny, and Megan is a new favorite event--a nice, full meal with such little effort!! I enjoyed watching the grands while the others had time to relax and visit. Papa Bill helped Trevor with his birthday Lego set in the other room, too. Ahhhh. So very nice. One of those times when I'd like to reach up and stop the clock hands awhile. . .

But other goals are set, life's demands are inevitable, routines are in place, travel plans are coming to mind, and 2010 comes marching in at a cadence we can't escape or place on pause. Like all the years lately since the girls have grown up, they seem to truly fly by sooooo quickly. I am so happy that so many of us are all still here, have each other to fill our lives, and have an eternity to look forward to -- ALL together then. For this perspective, and for so MANY, many other blessings, I am sincerely grateful and greet this year head on.